|
In Brief
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
PTI raises alarm over Imran Khan’s eyesight; demands family access
On 27 January, Dawn reported that PTI raised fresh concerns about jailed party founder Imran Khan's health, citing “credible reports” that he has central retinal vein occlusion in his right eye, which the party said could cause permanent damage to his eyesight without prompt treatment. The PTI requested complete access to him fo his family members and associates, while he asked to receive hospital treatment at any facility he selected because medical experts stated his required care could only be found outside the jail walls amid claims that the court-issued medical access orders were not being followed. Shaukat Khanum Hospital said it was gravely concerned and asked that its physicians be allowed to examine him. The reports faced scepticism from Imran's sisters because the family received no notification about the meetings, which took place with limited attendance.
Then on 28 January, the PTI demanded an immediate meeting between Khan and his family after reports that he was taken to a hospital for treatment linked to the eye condition. PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan said the family was not informed about the diagnosis or the reasons for returning him to jail, and urged that meetings not be blocked until 08 February. PTI leaders in Kot Lakhpat jail echoed the demand and sought the intervention of the Chief Justice. State Minister Tallal Chaudhry stated that jail officials maintain full authority to make decisions about prisoner meetings, while he asked people to verify information before concluding. (“PTI says Imran suffering from ailment that could permanently damage his eyesight if not treated promptly,” Dawn, 27 January 2026; “PTI demands meeting between Imran and his family amid reports of ex-premier being taken to hospital,” Dawn, 28 January 2026)
EXTERNAL
Pakistan and Sri Lanka launch digital partnership
On 29 January, Dawn reported that Pakistan and Sri Lanka established a Joint Working Group on IT and Digital. During the 13th Session of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) held in Colombo, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral economic relations further and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors. Discussions were held on expanding industrial collaboration and increasing bilateral trade, with Sri Lanka inviting Pakistani pharmaceutical companies to explore investment opportunities. Both countries expressed consensus on strengthening cooperation in the SME sector, recognising its vital role in economic growth and employment generation. Significant progress was made in the agriculture sector, particularly the export of Sri Lankan pineapple and avocado to Pakistan, and the livestock sector, including discussions on meat and seed trade. (“Pakistan, Sri Lanka launch digital partnership,” Dawn, 29 January 2026)
Pakistan and China launch e-mining platform, sign several MoUs
On 29 January, Dawn reported that Pakistan reaffirmed China’s central role in transforming its mineral sector beyond extraction at the Pak-China Mineral Cooperation Forum, signing multiple memoranda of understanding (MoUs) aimed at tapping an estimated USD 8 trillion in mineral resources. The two sides launched the Pak-China E-Mining Platform to enhance information sharing, transparency and project coordination, and signed MoUs involving Wah Nobel, JW Corporation, MCCT International, Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, POWERCHINA International and Pak China Investment Company to promote digital trade, investment facilitation, technical cooperation and joint development. (“Pakistan, China launch e-mining platform, sign several MoUs,” Dawn, 29 January 2026)
Pakistan reaffirms support for Palestinian statehood at UN Security Council
On 29 January, Dawn reported that on Wednesday, the UN Security Council held an open debate addressing the Palestinian issue, where Pakistan showed support for the establishment based on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, stating that Palestine is an independent, sovereign, and contiguous state. Furthermore, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, emphasised the widespread civilian casualties caused by Israeli aggression in Gaza over the past two years, stating that the occupation is marked by dispossession, repression, and the denial of Palestinians' inalienable rights. Additionally, the ambassador welcomed renewed diplomatic engagement with the High-Level Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and President Donald Trump’s Peace Plan, endorsed by Security Council resolution 2803, with hopes of the second phase of the plan helping consolidate the ceasefire and enable recovery and reconstruction, while providing humanitarian assistance and preparing a credible ground for the political process towards Palestinian self-determination. (“At the UN Security Council, Pakistan reaffirms support for Palestinian statehood,” Dawn, 29 January 2026)
US cautions citizens against travel to Pakistan
On 29 January, Dawn reported that the US State Department warned American citizens to reconsider travelling to Pakistan due to rising crime, civil unrest, terrorism, and the risk of kidnapping, updating its travel advisory for Pakistan on 26 January and placing the state under a Level 3 advisory, which indicates a high-risk area. Some regions, such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have also been designated as Level 4 (do not travel zones). These warnings are also applicable to US citizens of Pakistani origin. Moreover, according to the State Department, any backlash in the form of public demonstrations is prohibited, and the participants will be detained. (“US urges citizens to reconsider travel to Pakistan,” Dawn, 29 January 2026)
ECONOMY
Public debt rises to 70.7 per cent of GDP in FY2024–25
On 29 January, The Express Tribune reported that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the current government's first full financial year recorded an increase in total public debt as a percentage of GDP from 67.6 per cent to 70.7 per cent in June 2025. As a result of the increase in public debt, debt per capita increased by 13 per cent. Under the Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Limitation Act (FRDL), the finance ministry presented a fiscal policy statement in parliament. It stated that debt per capita has increased to PKR 333,041 in fiscal year 2024-25 from PKR 294,098 in 2023-24. The report also stated that public debt remained a key challenge as the federal fiscal deficit recorded a rise from 3.5 per cent to 6.2 per cent of GDP, crossing the limit as per the Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Limitation Act. (“Every Pakistani owes Rs 333,000,” The Express Tribune, 29 January 2026)
SECURITY
Policy dialogue launched to counter extremism in Quetta
On 29 January, Dawn reported that the Balochistan government had launched a three-day policy dialogue on countering violent extremism (CVE) in Quetta, bringing together policymakers, security officials, experts and civil society representatives. Organised by the provincial home department, the dialogue featured interventions from senior officials, including Adviser to the Chief Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Meena Majeed and Counter Terrorism Department DIG Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya. Majeed said the government was prioritising youth-focused socio-economic interventions, including a new youth policy, the Youth Socio-Economic Development Programme, and the establishment of a Youth Resource Centre to provide career counselling. She highlighted initiatives such as restoring ghost schools, expanding digital skills training, distributing laptops, aiding overseas employment for 30,000 trained youth, and promoting sports activities to counter radicalisation and protect them from extremist propaganda. (“Policy dialogue launched to counter extremism in Quetta,” Dawn, 29 January 2026)
JUDICIARY
Arshad Sharif’s wife pleads FCC to continue suo motu proceedings
On 29 January, Dawn reported that Somiya Arshad, one of the widows of journalist Arshad Sharif, strongly urged the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to continue the suo motu proceedings and form a commission with international observers to probe the Arshad Sharif case. Somiya Arshad also requested the FCC to share the Special Joint Investigation Team report with the family and to ensure action under the MLA agreement. Arshad Sharif, an investigative Pakistani journalist and a critic of Pakistan's military establishment, was shot dead by Kenyan police in 2022 on the outskirts of the national capital, Nairobi. Earlier, the case was heard by an SC bench in 2022, and now transferred to the FCC under the 27th constitutional amendment act. Recently, the FCC hinted at closing the case, noting that a mutual legal assistance agreement had been signed between Kenya and Pakistan. Earlier, the Additional Attorney General also informed the court that Pakistan’s investigation had been completed and that red notices had been issued and sent to Kenyan authorities for further action. (“FCC urged not to close Arshad Sharif case,” Dawn, 29 January 2026)
Editorials/Opinions
Society
Zahid Hussain, “Absent state accountability,” Dawn, 28 January 2026
“Accountability is an essential component of a democratic and rules-based system. There is no such concept of responsibility under authoritarian rule, which seeks to consolidate power without being subjected to checks and balances. In such a situation, the entire political system is designed to serve the interests of a narrow power elite. Freedom of expression is stifled in the name of national interest."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969464/absent-state-accountability
Pakistan & the IMF
Nadeem ul Haque & Shahid Kardar, “Road to exiting IMF,” Dawn, 28 January 2026
“Every few months, Pakistani officialdom and its associated stakeholders return to a familiar, comforting refrain: how Pakistan must ‘exit the IMF’. The vocabulary is predictable and well-rehearsed: exports, productivity, human capital, technology, governance, national coordination. These concepts are presented as panaceas, as if merely invoking them charts a path to freedom from the Fund. What is almost always missing is the road to get there. The discussion rarely addresses concrete policy actions, operational instruments and institutional changes needed to achieve the objective. Wishes are communicated as targets, outcomes are mistaken for reforms, and reform itself is reduced to rhetoric."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969463/road-to-exiting-imf
Economy
Editorial, “Prudent stimulus,” Dawn, 27 January 2026
“By holding the policy interest rate steady while cutting the cash reserve requirement for banks, the State Bank appears to have clearly signalled a significant recalibration of its stance in favour of economic growth."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969467/prudent-stimulus
Politics & governance
Aisha Khan, “Broken federalism,” Dawn, 27 January 2026
“Pakistan is confronting climate change under a governance model that was not designed for systemic, cross-border crises. Floods, heatwaves, droughts and glacial melt now interact with food security, public health, migration and fiscal stability. Yet the constitutional and fiscal architecture created after the 18th Amendment disperses authority, fragments accountability and leaves the federation with too little capacity to coordinate national responses. In a warming country already facing economic stress, this model is becoming a multiplier of vulnerability rather than a shield against it."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969307/broken-federalism
Judiciary
Naween A. Mangi, “Justice, Pakistan-style,” Dawn, 27 January 2026
“When we speak of justice in Pakistan, the discussion usually unfolds in courtrooms, legal reforms, constitutional clauses, and televised outrage. Rarely does it begin in villages — and yet it is there, far from cameras and commentary, that the justice system reveals its truest form."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969308/justice-pakistan-style
|
